ARTHUR M. SACKLER GALLERY 1050 Independence Avenue, S.W. Smithsonian Institution Washington, D.C. 20560 tel: (202) 357-3200 internet: www.si.edu/Asia
		•Daily gallery tours (except Wednesdays), 12:30 p.m. •Sackler Gallery Highlights, docent guides
		• Behind the Himalayas: Paintings of Mustang January 31 - September 26, 1999
			This exhibition consists of a group of watercolor paintings of the architecture of Mustang, a thumb-like appendage of territory that thrusts northward from Nepal into Tibet. Artist Robert Powell, an Australian expatriate, lives in Kathmandu, Nepal, but has traveled extensively in this remote area. His watercolor paintings are executed in the blazing ochres, indigos, whites and blacks that the residents of Mustang lavish on their buildings and monuments because of the sacred connotations of these colors. Earth Door Sky Door: The Paintings of Mustang by Robert Powell, an illustrated 112-page catalogue featuring 40 color plates, text by the artist and an introduction by Robert Vitali, scholar of Tibetan studies, is available at the museum shop for $29.95. See also: NEW BOOKS
		• Devi: The Goddess in Indian Art March 28 - September 6, 1999
			Approximately 120 works of Indian art, ranging over a period of 2,000 years, are on loan from collectors and museums around the world in this exhibition of objects depicting the Great Goddess, known simply as Devi. Devi is pictured and worshipped in many guises--the approachable "mother"; the detached "mother of the universe"; the benign and benevolent giver; and the most powerful of cosmic beings whose blessings lead to ultimate salvation. Included in this selection of pieces are sculptures in bronze, stone, and terra-cotta, as well as paintings on paper, cloth and board. The exhibition is divided into seven manifestations of Devi including comic force, tantric Devi, giver, semidivine and auspicious, heroine and beloved, and local protector. A color-illustrated catalog accompanies this exhibition, as well as an extensive film series celebrating women in Indian cinema and muscial programs. See also: CONFERENCES & SYMPOSIA, BOOK DEALERS
		•Public lecture: Sunday, June 13, 2:00 p.m. "Devi: The Great Goddess," Vidya Dehejia
		• Nainsukh: Painter from the Punjab Hills April 25 - July 18, 1999
			This exhibition provides an absorbing look at the artistic life of a particular Rajput court once found in the tiny state of Jasrota, in the region now known as Jammu and Kashmir. There, in the mid-18th century, an extraordinary artist, Nainsukh, was hired by a patron who perfectly understood and supported his talents. An exhibition of about 30 paintings by this artist are on loan from the Museum Rietberg Zurich, in Switzerland.
		•Public lecture: Tuesday, June 8, 2:00 p.m. "The Work of Nainsukh," Milo Beach (Director)
		• Sculpture of South and Southeast Asia Continuing indefinitely
			A group of 10th- to 13th-century Cambodian stone sculptures complements a display of Hindu stone, bronze, brass, and terra-cotta sculptures from South India dating from the 8th through the 14th century.
		• The Arts of China Continuing indefinitely
			A variety of materials, techniques, and motifs, which span almost six thousand years, are explored in this exhibition of 228 objects highlighting the Sackler Gallery's permanent holdings of Chinese art. The exhibition features jades and bronzes, Buddhist sculpture and wall paintings, glass, lacquerware, furniture, and paintings from the Neolithic period to the 20th century.
		• Luxury Arts of the Silk Route Empires Continuing indefinitely
			In these two underground galleries connecting the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, examples of metalwork and ceramics from the collections of each museum illustrate the effect of multicultural interaction on the arts of the first millennium A.D. Ornaments, bowls, cups, bottles, jars, mirrors, ewers, and ritual objects in gold, silver or silver and gilt, earthenware, or porcelain from Iran, China, Turkey, Syria, and Afghanistan are included in this exhibition.
		• Contemporary Japanese Porcelain Continuing indefinitely
			Twentieth-century Japanese artists give fresh interpretations to the time-honored art of porcelain in this selection of works from the Sackler Gallery's collection. The distinctive decorations, which range from natural motifs to more abstract designs, are created using iron and cobalt pigments and platinum, gold, and silver enamels.
		• Puja: Expressions of Hindu Devotion Continuing indefinitely
			Art and ritual come together in this exhibition of 125 works, made in various media, which help visitors understand how art objects are used in puja. Also considered are puja environments: shrines located in temples, the home, or outdoors. A 12-minute video accompanies the exhibition.
		• Metalwork and Ceramics from Ancient Iran Continuing indefinitely
			These 45 metal and clay artifacts, created in western Iran between 2300 and 100 B.C. are closely linked technically and aesthetically. Metalwork influences ceramic forms, colors, and surface treatment; works in both media share shapes and decoration inspired by images of animals or imaginary creatures. Objects in the exhibition are on loan from private collections and from the Sackler Gallery's permanent collection.
		• Yoshida Hiroshi: Japanese Prints of India and Southwest Asia August 1 - October 17, 1999
			The exhibit includes 32 prints produced in 1931 and 1932 by Yoshida Hiroshi (1910 - 1978).
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